Duke Today

By: Eric Ferreri

April 14, 2020

ON WHAT BLACK FAMILIES FACE RIGHT NOW

William “Sandy” Darity, economist

“Black Americans constitute approximately 13 percent of the nation’s population but only possess about 2.6 percent of the nation’s wealth. This translates into an average gap per household of about $800,000.”

“This immense differential means that under any emergency circumstances, black families have considerably less resources to function as a cushion and they do not have the resources to have access to the best health care or the best preventive measures to insure one has better health.”

“And as a consequence we’re seeing these staggering numbers associated with racial disparities and the mortality from COVID-19. For example, in the state of Louisiana, blacks make up 32 percent of the population but 70 percent of the deaths from the coronavirus.”

Read the full article here .